Throat-frame for mail-bags.



No. 653,057. Patented July 3, I900.

' c. BATEMAN.

THROAT FRAME F.O RM AIL BAGS.

(Application filed Nov. ,l6, 1899.)

(No Model.)

' A 770/?NEYS THE "cums PETERS cov, PHoTo-Lnuu. WASHINGTON, u c.

throat-frame in opened adjustment.

NITED STATES PATE T OFFICE.

CHARLES BATEMAN, OF GALES CREEK, OREGON.

TH RoAT- RA FOR MAIL-BAGS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 653,057, dated July 3, 1900. Application filed November 16, 1899. Serial No. 737,188. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, CHARLES BATEMAN, a citizen ofthe United States, and a resident of Gales Creek, in the county of Washington and State of Oregon, have invented a new and Improved Throat-Frame for Mail-Bags, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

This invention has for its object to provide a throat-frame for mail-bags or the like havingnovel features of construction which are simple, durable, convenient in service, and will hold the month of the bag open at full extent in rectangular form for free reception of mail-matter and also adapt the frame for a secure closure of the bag-month.

The invention consists in the novel construction and combination of parts, as is hereinafter described, and defined in the appended claims.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, in which similar characters of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the views.

Figure l is a perspective View of the device applied and adjusted to hold the mouth of the bag distended. Fig. 2 is a plan view of the Fig. 3 is an end view of the throat-frame in closedcondition, seen in direction of arrow 00 in Fig. 5. Fig. 4. is an enlarged partly-sectional ele vation of the frame,'substantially on the line 4 at in Fig. 2. Fig. 5 is an enlargedplan view of the frame in place on a bag and in closed condition. Fig. 6 is a transverse sectional view of the device, substantially on the line 6 6 of Fig. 2. Fig. 7 is a side view of the closed frame, seen in direction of arrow y in Fig. 5. substantially on the line 8 8 in Fig. 5, and Fig. 9 is a transverse sectional view substantially on the line 9 9 in Fig. 5. j

The improvement may be applied on the mouths of bags used for. different purposes. Preferably it is em ployed as a mail-ba -Inouth frame and is represented as applied upon a mail-bag.

. In the drawings illustrating the construction and application of the invention, 10 indicates a bag, (shown in part,) which may be of leather or other available material.

The improved throat-frame (shown secured Fig. 8 is a transverse sectional view upon the edge of the bag-mouth) comprises, essentially,four main members or bars 11, 12, 13, and 14, which vary in form and are jointed together to be folded compactly for closure of the bag-mouth or to be opened to provide a rectangular frame whereby the bag mouth i the vertical side wall thereof to afford material for the formation in the inner side of this wall of a recess orcavity opposite the protuberance a, saidrecess receiving a hinge-leaf formed on one end of the frame-bar 12.

The leaf on the extremity of the frame-bar 12 is pivoted at ain the recessed protuberance a and provides a rule-joint which per- I mitsthe free folding of the frame-bar 12 below the horizontal top member of the frame- .bar 11. The frame-bar 12 is about equal in thickness to the height of the vertical wall on the angular frame-bar portion 11, which extends from the joint 0, on the frame-bar 11 toward the right-hand end, as'shown in Fig.

l 1, and when the complete frame-bar is closely folded the bar 12 will lie housed below the overhanging member of the frame-bar 11, leaving room on the outside thereof for another bar 13 to be folded beneath the horizontal member of the frame-bar 11.

From the joint (2' the vertical wall of the ;angular frame-bar 11, which projects to the left in Fig. 1, is double the thickness of the same wall on the -h'alf portion 11 thereof, thereby reducing the width of the horizontal memberof the frame-bar ll correspondingly where it projects laterally from the'thickened vertical wall just mentioned.

On-the left-hand end of the frame-barll, asshown in Fig. 1, "anend of the frame-bar 13 is rule-jointed, as at b, which will permit the two frame-bars 11 13 to be extended in alinement and also flexed to form a right angle between them.

The frame-bar 13 is equal in thickness for one-half of its length, extending from the joint Z) to the thicker portion of the framebar 11, and its width, together with the relative formation of the rule-joint 1), permits the said bar 13 to fold beneath the horizontal member of the bar 11, as indicated in Fig. 9.

A protuberance c is formed on the outer side of the frame-bar 13, at or near its longitudinal center, to provide room for a hingejoint recess in the opposite side thereof, and a joint-leaf on one end of the frame-bar 14 is pivoted therein to provide a hinged connection 0 between the parts named. From the hinge-joint c the outermost half portion of the frame-bar 13 is reduced in thickness, so that it is equal to that of the frame-bar 14, and these parts when folded together in the direction of the curved arrow z in Fig. 1 should have a combined thickness equal to that of the half of the frame-bar 13 that is located between the joints b and c.

The outermost ends of the frame-bars 12 and 14 are jointed together, as shown at d, whereby these bars are permitted to fold together when their jointed ends at d are moving outwardly or in the direction of the arrow 2 in Fig. 1, which will result in impinging the outer side of the bar 14 upon the inner side of the outer portion of the bar 13, and at'the same time the two contacting bars 12 and 14, together with the bar 13, are all folded compactly beneath the top horizontal portion on the outer part 11 of the framebar 11, as shown in Figs. 3 and 8.

On the lower edges of each frame-bar 11, 12, 13, and 14 depending flanges g are formed, whereon the free top edges of the open bag 10 are secured by rivets or other means. The frame-bars 11 and 13 are equal in length,and at a suitable point near the free end of the frame-bar 13 a vertical slot h is formed for the reception of the slide-bolt 15, held projected a proper distance above the bar by a spring 16, that has its ends respectively engaged with the frame-bar 13 and the slidebolt, as clearly shown in Fig. 4.

A slot 6 is formed in the top horizontal flange on the frame-bar 11 at a point near one end which will permit said slot to receive the projected portion of the slide-bolt 15, and in a vertical slot formed in the outer side of the frame-bar 13, opposite the slidebolt 15, a thumb-bolt h is inserted, having its inner end secured in a slide-bolt, which afiords convenient means to manipulate the bolt for its introduction within or removal from the slot e when the throat-frame is folded. A perforation t' is laterally formed in the slide-bolt 15 Where it projects above the frame-bar 11 for accommodation of the hasp of a mail-lock A of any preferred construction,which when engaged with the slidebolt will hold the throat-frame in closed condition.

It will be seen that when the frame-bars 11 and 13 are opened to form a right angle the other bars 12 14 will be automatically adjusted so as to afford a rectangular frame where engaged with the bag 10, as shown in Figs. 1 and 2, so that the bag-mouth will be distended similarly with the adjustment of the frame for introduction of mail-matter witinthe bag. 7

At spaced distances apart two arms 17 are formed or secured on the frame-bar 11, so as to depend therefrom, and on each arm a ring-eye 18 is outwardly projected, as shown in Figs. 1, 2, 4, 5, and 6. The ring-eyes 18 may be readily slipped overprojecting hooks that are on a side wall either in an oflice or mail-car, so that the mail-bag may be hung in an upright position with the month thereof fully distended to admit mail-matter, thus avoiding the need of manual effort to keep the bag open, so that the mail-distributer may use both hands for the work and greatly expedite it.

One of the arms 17 may be secured to the side of the mail-bag, as indicated in Fig. 1, and it is evident that by the employment of said arms which will bear upon the vertical wall whereon the bag hangs the bag will be maintained in a proper position.

The throat-frame may be constructed of any suitable metal and while. light is very strong and durable.

Having thus fully described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent- 1. A throat-frame for bags, consisting of a pair of side bars hinged together at one end and formed with reduced portions on their inner faces extending from their middle to their free ends, one of said bars being L- shaped in cross-section, a second pair of side bars one-half the length of the first-named bars and hinged together at one end and with their opposite ends hinged to the first-named bars in the inner ends of the reduced portions thereof, the shorter bars being adapted to lie against the reduced portions of the longer bars when the frame is closed and engaging as stops the adjacent other portions of the longer bars when the frame is open, and the horizontal member of the L-shaped longer bar covering the remaining three bars when the frame is closed, as set forth.

2. A throat-frame for bags, comprising a pair of side bars hinged together at one end and having their opposing side faces reduced from a point between their ends to their free ends, one of said bars being L-shaped in crosssection, a second pair of side bars hinged together at one end and having their opposite ends hinged to the first-named bars in the inner ends of the reduced portions thereof, said second pair of bars being of a length and thickness equal to the reduced portions of the respective bars to which they are hinged, being adapted to lie against the reduced portions of such bars when the frame is closed and engaging as stops the adjacent ends of the other portions when the frame is open,

and the horizontal member of the L-shaped side bar being of a width sufficient to cover the other bars when the frame is closed, as set forth.

3. In a device of the character described, the combination with two long frame-bars, two short frame-bars pivoted together at an end of each bar, the other ends respectively having pivoted engagement with one of the long frame-bars at the longitudinal center thereof, each long frame-bar having an outer half portion reduced in thickness to receive laterally one of the short frame-bars, one of the long frame-bars being L-shaped in crosssection, permitting the three other framename to this specification in the presence of 25 two subscribing witnesses.

CHARLES BATEMAN.

Witnesses:

L. L. LANGLEY, W. M. LANGLEY. 

